Private Equity / Venture Capital

The private equity sector has grown significantly in recent years, as many public companies are transformed into private businesses through buyouts and lose their listed status. Today, the market is very large, with plenty of opportunities for both new graduates and experienced individuals. One way into private equity is venture capitalism. Venture capitalists are concerned with investments in start up and early stage private companies. Facebook, Twitter, PayPal, and Pinterest were all launched via the financial assistance of venture capitalists, either private venture capitalists, or those working within investment banks. You'll find venture capitalist jobs listed here on efinancialcareers.com.

Getting into Private Equity

You don't need a strong background in equities to make your way in the private equity sector. While many venture capitalists have worked on the trade floor, the nature of private equity is so diverse that some of your colleagues may have come from accountancy, or even from a non-financial background such as legal. Venture capitalists and private equity professionals need a very widespread skillset, so this route into finance is quite open, rather than requiring particular niche qualifications.

Who to Work For

It was once only the larger investment banks that were key players in private equity, but that has changed. Now specialist private equity firms set up funds and gather huge pools of money ready to invest in new ventures. Key names across the United States including KKR (Kohlberg, Kravis and Roberts), Blackstone and Apax Partners accompany the likes of Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, and Citi, working on deals totaling billions of dollars. However, there are also smaller players that handle much more manageable deals, such as lower market deals up to $50 million, and middle market deals up to $500 million.